The Mark of the Spider
by AngelG93
Summary: Inuyasha is mortally wounded by Naraku. While he tries to regain his strength, Kagome notices that a certain spider-shaped burn on his back refuses to heal. What's worse, Inuyasha starts to hear thoughts that aren't his own.  Lots of characters involved
1. Eaten Alive

Chapter 1: Eaten Alive

"Tonight for sure."

"Hmm?"

"We'll beat him tonight. I just know it."

Kagome had often seen that overconfident smile on Inuyasha's face, and she hoped it wouldn't spell doom the way it usually did. The situation wasn't exactly a desirable one: she was hidden behind a clump of bushes on the outskirts of a wooded grove. Inuyasha and Shippo crouched on either side of her. The sliver of the waning moon cast a faint glow over the scene.

"Why did we have to wait until dark?" Shippo whined.

"Stow it!" Inuyasha chided, dealing Shippo a quick blow on the head. The little fox-demon's eyes welled up with tears of pain and frustration, but he did not cry out. Even Shippo understood how crucial it was to conceal their position.

"I hope Sango and Miroku are alright," Kagome whispered, trying to change the subject.

"They'll be fine," Inuyasha assured her. He let out a soft laugh. "Naraku won't know what hit him!"

"Please, Inuyasha," Kagome begged, "don't underestimate Naraku. He always has a trick or a trap."

"And don't you underestimate me, Kagome. Do you honestly think I can't destroy him?"

"It's not that..."

"Then what's there to worry about?"

At that moment, a nauseating demonic aura crept over them, emanating from the grove.

"Any moment now," Inuyasha grinned, unsealing the barrier of Tessaiga's scabbard by pushing the guard upward with his thumb and grasping the frayed hilt with his other hand. Even in the dark, Kagome could see the excitement in Inuyasha's golden eyes, like a predator anticipating its next kill.

As Kagome peered through a sparse area in the bush's branches, she caught sight of him. Naraku. As usual, he wore a smug expression, as if he was appreciating an inside joke – which he probably was.

"There you are, you sick bastard." Kagome had never really approved of Inuyasha's foul mouth, but even she had to admit that Naraku deserved it.

Inuyasha perched on the balls of his feet, like a cat ready to pounce. Pushing off from the leaf-strewn carpet of grass, he leapt into the grove, sword drawn.

"Naraku!" he yelled as he brought Tessaiga's blade down toward his enemy's head. Several feet in the air, however, Inuyasha slammed against a demonic barrier. Regaining his balance as he landed, he turned to face Naraku.

"A barrier, huh? No problem. I can deal with that in no time!" Tessaiga glowed blood-red as Inuyasha held it over his head, ready to strike with the Wind Scar. Before he could deliver the blow, however, a strong gust of wind distracted him. Kagura landed in front of her master, fan extended - ready for a fight.

"You sure don't play fair, do you, Naraku?" Inuyasha jeered.

"When dealing with a pathetic obstacle like you, Inuyasha, I feel no need to exert myself," Naraku replied flatly.

Inuyasha's eyes burned with loathing. Charging toward his foe, he swiped Tessaiga in a horizontal arc, but Kagura unbalanced him with a flick of her fan and sent him stumbling off-course. Kagura raised her arm to attack Inuyasha's exposed back, but a shout interrupted her.

"Hiraikotsu!"

An enormous boomerang hit Kagura full-force, knocking her to the ground. Still hidden in the bushes, Kagome and Shippo watched as Sango and Miroku appeared on the scene and slid down from Kirara's back. Sango caught her weapon with one hand, spun it twice, and held it at the ready, while Miroku pulled out several sutras from within the folds of his robe.

For a moment, their sudden entrance seemed to glow with all the grandeur of a successful surprise attack. Then, Sango stiffened, eyebrows raised and eyes wide.

"Monk..." she growled threateningly. Instantly, Miroku's hand jumped back from where he had been caressing Sango's hip. He laughed slightly, but his reaction came too little, too late. A second later, Sango's hand had left a red welt on Miroku's cheek, making it look as if the lecherous monk was blushing on only one side of his face.

In the time they had taken to squabble, Kagura had risen to her feet again. She glanced at Naraku for approval, then moved to the side to fight the newcomers.

Seeing his opportunity, Inuyasha channeled the Red Tessaiga's power and sent a wave of energy toward Naraku's barrier, which shattered from the impact of the Wind Scar. Unfortunately, the attack missed Naraku by centimeters.

"A typical display of brawn," Naraku teased, "all strength and no aim."

"Doesn't matter. I'll hit you this time! Wind Scar!" Inuyasha threw all of his weight into the Tessaiga's swing, so much so that he sank onto one knee in order to avoid falling into his own attack. When the light of the Wind Scar faded and the dust cleared, Naraku lay scattered in indistinguishable pieces on the forest floor.

Kagura's head whipped around instantly. An expression of pure joy seized her as she clutched at her heart.

"You... you actually did it," she breathed in awe. "You killed Naraku."

"Heh!" Inuyasha gloated. "Wasn't that hard, really."

Kagura relaxed, closing her fan. "In that case, I no longer have any quarrel with you, so I'll be on my way."

Soon, Kagura was drifting away on her enormous magic feather. Kagome and Shippo slowly emerged from their behind their bush and joined the group. After a few moments of silence, Miroku spoke.

"That was far too easy."

Sango nodded. "I agree." Inuyasha's ears twitched in indignation.

"Why do all of you doubt my strength? Is it really so hard to believe that I could take down Naraku with one blow?"

Without skipping a beat, the others replied in unison, "Yes."

Eyebrows furrowed, Inuyasha snorted. "Fine! I'll go make sure that he's dead! That'll prove it!" He stomped off toward the demon's remains, muttering, "some friends you are," under his breath.

Pulling out Tessaiga, Inuyasha began methodically stabbing every putrid piece of Naraku he could find. From the scraps of his words that drifted back to the others, they could tell he was venting by imagining their faces on the bits of charred flesh. When he had finished, Inuyasha turned to his friends, looking quite satisfied.

"There," he pronounced with a smug finality. "See?"

Suddenly, vine-like tendrils shot up from a lump of Naraku's body and wrapped around Inuyasha's sword-arm. Before any of the others could react, the tentacles had wrenched Tessaiga out of his grip and flung him onto his back.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried in alarm.

"Stay over there!" Inuyasha ordered. "I'll handle this!"

Nevertheless, Miroku and Sango both readied their weapons. Kirara crouched, a menacing growl building in her throat. Shippo clung to Kagome's leg and trembled. Inuyasha struggled with the tendrils, which thickened as clumps of flesh coagulated. Naraku's head emerged from the shapeless mass, then shoulders, torso, legs.

"How the hell did you survive that?" Inuyasha demanded, outraged.

"Foolish Inuyasha," Naraku smiled, "as long as I possess the Sacred Jewel, I cannot be killed by the likes of you."

Inuyasha drew back his left hand and punched Naraku full in the face. The demon showed little reaction, merely grabbing Inuyasha's wrist before he could deliver another blow.

"Fist-fighting? Really? Once again, you disappoint me, Inuyasha."

With a sudden twist of his hand, Naraku wrenched Inuyasha's forearm to the side. Kagome heard the unmistakable snap of a bone breaking, and Inuyasha cried out in pain. With his other hand still caught in Naraku's tentacles, he now had no way to attack. The demon continued to pull Inuyasha's arm in odd directions, causing several more breaks. The pain forced his knees to give way, until all that held him up was the injured arm Naraku grasped.

"That's it! I won't stand by and watch this!" Miroku yelled, unfastening the wrappings around his Wind Tunnel.

"I wouldn't be so hasty if I were you, monk," Naraku advised, holding Inuyasha's trembling body in front of his own. Immediately, Miroku hesitated. He snarled, then he recovered his right hand.

"How dare you use Inuyasha as a shield!" Sango roared, throwing her Hiraikotsu in a wide arc so as to hit Naraku's back. The demon swatted the weapon away as easily as he would a fly.

"Now that you're all paying attention, we can proceed to the best part." His condescending voice shook slightly with controlled excitement. _Whatever he has planned_, Kagome thought in desperation, _it can't be good_.

The writhing flesh that held Inuyasha's right arm began to creep up his shoulder, growing in size until it had wrapped around his entire body. Naraku finally released Inuyasha's wrist, allowing the cocoon to fully encase his prey.

Shippo panicked. "Oh, no! He's gonna try to eat Inuyasha!"

These words spurred the others into action, but to no avail. Naraku side-stepped all of their attacks, continuing to use Inuyasha as a defense.

"You're all too late," he laughed. "Even as you struggle to rescue him, my miasma is slowly but surely digesting that meddlesome half-demon. I admit, I would have preferred his older brother, Sesshoumaru – next to that level of power, Inuyasha is barely an appetizer."

While Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippo darted in and out around Naraku, Kagome ran back to the bushes, where she had left her bow and arrows. As quickly as she could, she took aim at Naraku.

"Take this!" she shouted in defiance, releasing the shaft of an arrow. To her surprise, Naraku did not try to avoid the shot. An instant before it hit, he showed that smile again, as if he was letting them in on a secret joke. Then, he dissolved – whether because of the sacred arrow or not, Kagome couldn't tell. Curiously, the cocoon remained behind, untouched.

"Did we get him, or did he run away?" Miroku wondered.

"It hardly matters," Sango said, hefting Hiraikotsu at the still-present mass of demon-flesh. "We've got to get Inuyasha out of this thing."

They hacked at the thick layers until they broke through. A liquid miasma spilled out, forcing them to jump back as it disintegrated the grass on contact.

"It smells awful," Sango noted, donning her poison-filtering mask. The best the others could do was pinch their noses or hold their breath. The steam rising from the mix of miasma and dying plant life made it difficult to see inside the punctured vestige of the cocoon, but once the reaction slowed down enough for the haze to lift-

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed, stepping around the remaining pools of miasma as she rushed to his side.

The others did not follow her; they were too horrified by what they saw.

From where they stood, all that could be seen of their half-demon friend was a hand, hanging limply out of the hole they had made in the cocoon. Much of the skin had been burned away, leaving the muscle and bone exposed to the cruel night air.


	2. A Dire Situation

Chapter 2: A Dire Situation

Kagome hardly noticed as the sun's light slowly illuminated the grove. She could barely see anything through her streams of tears, her voice coming out in short bursts between her sobs.

"Inuyasha... Inuyasha, answer me!" Kagome yelled at the motionless form. Eventually, she noticed an arm around her shoulder: Sango. Miroku and Shippo had come closer as well, pulling away the remainders of the decaying cocoon. Bit by bit, the morning light reached Inuyasha, its soft rays mocking the image they revealed.

Despite the protection of the Fire Rat's robe, Naraku's miasma had seeped in through the sleeves and collar, scalding Inuyasha's skin as it had traveled up his arms and down his chest. His legs had probably suffered the least damage, but Kagome couldn't even bring herself to look at his feet, which would have been fully exposed to the miasma. With exceeding care, Miroku and Shippo slipped off Inuyasha's robe in order to better assess the situation. What was left of his shirt had to be peeled off of the sizzling skin. When Inuyasha's bare chest finally met the cold morning air, he showed the first signs of life. Naraku seemed to have intentionally left Inuyasha's face wholly intact, perhaps so that his friends could accurately see just how much pain he was experiencing.

Seeing Inuyasha alive, Kagome would have rushed forward and embraced him if not for the horrifying condition of his chest. Here the miasma had managed to sink deeply, as if determined to burn straight through him. As things stood, Kagome could see bone from each of his ribs protruding through the ruin of skin and muscle, and, beneath that, a fleshy mass that rose and fell in time with Inuyasha's pained breathing. The miasma had reached his lungs. Even as they watched, fresh blood saturated the entire mess, dying the ground deep red. Kagome knelt by Inuyasha's head, brushing aside the singed tips of his silver hair with extreme tenderness.

"Inuyasha?" she whispered, only inches above his pain-stricken face.

At the sound of her gentle voice, Inuyasha's eyelids fluttered. Slowly, as if even the slightest movement sent new jolts of pain through him, he opened his eyes. As soon as he did, Kagome began to hope. Inuyasha was a half-demon, after all; he had suffered severe wounds before and survived. Why would this time be any different?

As if in answer to her unspoken question, Inuyasha shakily raised his unbroken arm and pointed toward the sky. Following his direction, Kagome saw the faint outline of the setting moon, a silver sliver so thin it was almost imperceptible. The hope that had welled up in Kagome drained out of her in mere seconds. Inuyasha didn't have to try to speak to tell them the terrifying truth. Tomorrow would be the new moon, and with wounds this serious and this fresh, Inuyasha would never survive the night in his mortal form.

Before anyone could stop her, Kagome lifted Inuyasha onto her lap and cradled him in her arms. Her tears flowed freely now, dripping onto Inuyasha's face. His expression was difficult to read; beneath the signs of pain from his wounds, he was hurting in a different regard, hurting for Kagome because, once again, he had made her cry. He brushed away a few of her tears with the back of his hand, but the effort was to great to maintain. His hand dropped, his eyes closed, and his face relaxed. The others would have though him dead were it not for the faint, yet steady breaths that fought to keep him alive. As Inuyasha lay on Kagome's lap, she noticed something on his back, a different kind of burn, but she couldn't bother thinking about it now.

"What can we do?" Shippo whimpered, breaking the silence.

Spurred by these words, Miroku began rummaging in Kagome's backpack. "First of all," he reasoned, "We can bandage the worst areas. With the medicines from Kagome's world, we at least have a chance."

"Right," Sango and Shippo agreed, converging on the pack to help Miroku. Kagome had not moved, her face buried in Inuyasha's tangled hair as his head rested against her collarbone.

"You're dreaming," she said at last. Her voice was surprisingly cold, so much so that the others stopped to stare at her.

"What do you mean, Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"We can't save him. There isn't enough time for him to heal before the night of the new moon, and none of the medicine I brought is strong enough to even make a difference."

For a moment, hopelessness gripped each of their hearts. But then, Sango had an thought.

"Wait, Kagome... doesn't your world have even stronger medicines than the ones you packed here? What if... what if you took Inuyasha to your world and got help?"

Kagome looked up at Sango, her face smeared with tears, grime, and Inuyasha's blood.

"The Bone-Eater's Well is less than a day's travel from here. You can take Inuyasha with you, back to your world, and save him."

"But..." Kagome glanced down at Inuyasha, "How are we supposed to move him while he's like this?"

Kirara bounded forward and motioned to Kagome. She understood. Carefully, they managed to settle Inuyasha on Kirara's back. Kagome climbed on as well to ensure he didn't fall. When she clasped Inuyasha's hand in her own, he gave it a reassuring squeeze. Even in his weakened state, he was aware of what they were trying to do for him.

They walked through forests and over hills as quickly as they safely could. Kirara hovered a few feet above the ground in order to give Inuyasha a smoother ride. Despite their haste, however, the sky was already orange from the sunset by the time they reached Kaede's village. The old priestess rubbed some herbal salves in Inuyasha's wounds while the others consulted briefly.

"I still don't know about this," Kagome said anxiously.

"What choice do you have?" Sango pointed out. "If you don't take drastic action, Inuyasha will surely die."

"She's right," Shippo piped in. "If you were hurt bad, Kagome, Inuyasha would do whatever crazy, dangerous thing he had to in order to save you."

"Besides," Miroku reasoned, "Inuyasha will be in his human form, so it'll be easier for him to blend in."

"But that'll only last for one night!" Kagome persisted. "What'll I do then?"

"Cross that bridge when you come to it," Sango replied decisively, noticing Kaede's approach.

"How is he?" Kagome asked at once.

"I've done all I can," Kaede sighed. "He's awake, and doesn't seem to be in as much pain, but much of those improvements are due to the soothing effects of my herbal remedies."

"Then, we've no more time to waste," Miroku declared as he strode toward Kaede's hut. Within minutes, he returned with Inuyasha. His wounds were now concealed beneath layers of bandages, with his left arm in a sling, and he had mustered enough strength to sit up while astride Kirara. Kagome felt like crying again; Inuyasha was being so tough for their sakes. He didn't want any of them to think he was weak.

They hurried to the Bone-Eater's Well as the sun touched the top of the distant hills. Miroku eased Inuyasha off Kirara's back and onto the wooden rim of the Well. Kagome thanked the others, and then leapt into the Well, pulling Inuyasha with her. As she did, the last light of the sun sank behind the horizon and Inuyasha's hair began to darken. Before she could do anything more than gasp, they had entered the Well.

Every second felt like an eternity as they traveled across time. Inuyasha had completely transformed now, but he actually looked better now than he had before. Kagome wondered if this was an illusion created by the time-traversing nature of the Well. Then, Inuyasha spoke, much more softly than normal.

"Kagome... sorry about all this."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's not your fault."

"But you were right. I did underestimate Naraku, and I paid for it."

"That doesn't matter now. You're going to be fine."

Inuyasha stared deeply at her, quite uncomfortably, in fact.

"What if I'm not?"

Now it was Kagome's turn to stare. "Huh? What... Don't talk like that! Of course you'll be fine!"

"Kagome, listen to me!" A hint of anger showed in Inuyasha's face as he gripped her upper arm. "In case... in case I don't make it... there's something I need to tell you."

Kagome could feel warmth creeping into her cheeks as she blushed involuntarily. Could Inuyasha possibly be referring to something like _that_? For a moment, she was torn between the prospect of listening to him and then losing him, or losing him without having listened to him. She tried to shake those morbid thoughts out of her mind, but all she did was literally shake her head.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Inuyasha asked, bewildered. "Kagome..."

The end of the Well was approaching quickly now. They were out of time. Before Kagome could stop him, Inuyasha had pulled her into a tight embrace. She could smell a mix of blood, miasma, and herbs as he held her close. Just before the Well emptied them into Kagome's world, she felt Inuyasha's lips press against her throat.

When the light faded, Kagome and Inuyasha sat at the bottom of the Well in the Higurashi Shrine. For a moment, Kagome felt relief; then she noticed that Inuyasha was barely breathing. Laying him down gently, Kagome climbed out of the well and ran toward her house. Sota met her at the door.

"Oh, hi, Sis," he greeted cheerily, but he quickly noticed her panicked expression. "What's wrong?"

"Tell Mom to call an ambulance!" she answered. "Inuyasha's dying!"

Sota turned back inside immediately to convey these instructions, while Kagome rushed back to the shrine. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving Inuyasha alone, especially if he... no, that wouldn't happen. Inuyasha was strong. He would pull through. Help would arrive in time.

She held Inuyasha in her arms they way she had in the grove. He looked so helpless, so vulnerable. She kept one hand over his heart, each beat giving a few seconds of comfort. Having stayed awake through the previous night, Kagome tried to fight the urge to close her eyes, to sleep here forever with Inuyasha. Whether she actually dozed off or not, Kagome wasn't sure, but she sat up, fully awake, as soon as she heard the siren.

The next few minutes blurred in Kagome's mind. The emergency medical crew burst into the shrine, lifted Inuyasha out of the Well, and rolled him on a stretcher toward the ambulance. Before they reached it, however, one of the crew yelled ahead.

"Get the defibrillator! The patient's heart has stopped!"

Kagome froze in her tracks, as if a ton of ice had just been dropped on her. She watched, helpless, as the EMCs tore through the bandages to reach Inuyasha's chest, so focused on their task that they paid the additional wounds little mind.

"Clear!"

The defibrillator sent a jolt of electricity through Inuyasha's body, but he did not respond.

"Again! Clear!"

Kagome lost count of how many times the EMCs tried to restart his heart. At last, Inuyasha gasped as air filled his damaged lungs. As the medical personnel secured him for transport, Kagome climbed into the ambulance and gripped his hand, as if her grasp could keep Inuyasha's life going.

She continued to hold onto him as they entered the emergency room. After a minute or so, Kagome noticed that a nurse was saying something to her, pulling gently, but firmly on her shoulders, holding her back.

"You need to stay here."

_No_, Kagome thought desperately, _No I can't leave Inuyasha!_ but her body complied with the nurse's command, and her fingers slipped out of Inuyasha's.

As she watched the EMCs take Inuyasha away, Kagome wondered if she would ever see him again, and she wished with all her heart that she had returned his kiss.


	3. An Erratic Recovery

Chapter 3: An Erratic Recovery

Kagome sat in the waiting room, watching the second hand of the clock slowly progress around its face. She honestly felt more like screaming, running - anything except sitting calmly like this while Inuyasha fought for his life.

Hours dragged by, and still no word. Eventually, a faint light began to shine through the large windows of the hospital. Dawn was fast approaching. For the first time since she had returned last night, Kagome worried about what would happen when Inuyasha transformed back into a half-demon... if he could live long enough to make it.

_No_, Kagome chided herself, _don't think like that! This is Inuyasha you're talking about. Of course he'll make it_. Nevertheless, doubt gripped her heart like the cold hands of Death itself.

"Excuse me, Miss Higurashi?"

Kagome looked up at the same nurse who had restrained her last night.

"Yes?"

"Your friend, he's..."

What? What had happened to Inuyasha? Had he transformed? Had he died? _What?_

"...stabilized."

Kagome nearly fainted from relief. Inuyasha had pulled through; he was alive. What's more, the hospital staff hadn't mentioned anything about him transforming. Even though Kagome had no explanation for this last fluke, she was far too grateful to complain about it.

* * *

Inuyasha felt as though every inch of his body was made of rock: heavy and stiff. An unusual sensation clouded his vision and kept him from thinking straight. He wondered if it was from one of the medicines those people in white had given him; they sure had given him a lot of them. Even as he lay on the bed, more concoctions flowed into his body through a strange clear rope stuck in his arm and a mask which fed air to his miasma-corroded lungs. He hadn't liked it when he'd been jabbed with needles and had his broken arm set in a cumbersome white bandage that was so thick and hard he could barely move his fingers, but if all this fuss would keep him alive, he could take it.

The weird thing was, he shouldn't have needed all of this now. He _should_ have transformed back into a half-demon by now and begun healing faster, but as far as he could tell he was still just a human. This realization scared Inuyasha a little: why hadn't he transformed back? What was wrong with him?

"Nothing's wrong," the back of his mind told him. "Just give yourself some time; don't worry. You'll be back to normal before you know it."

Not feeling entirely reassured, Inuyasha closed his eyes and began thinking about getting some proper sleep. Before he could drift off, however, he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Inuyasha?" It was Kagome's voice. When he didn't answer, she added, "I'm coming in, okay?"

As soon as Inuyasha caught sight of her tear-streaked face, a wave of emotions swept over him: frustration, self-loathing, and a mad desire to leap up off this stupid bed and take her in his arms - like he had in the Well.

"Now, now," that same inner voice chided, "Don't push yourself too hard. That won't do you any good, now will it?"

He had to agree - as if he could even get up in his condition. Kagome pulled over a chair and sat by his bed. She seemed to be struggling to decide whether it was a good idea for her to smile or not in this situation. In an attempt to tell her it was alright, Inuyasha wrapped his hand around her fingers as they rested on the bedside. To his delight, she did smile at that.

"I'm so glad, Inuyasha." She choked slightly on the words. "You're going to be alright; I just know it."

He returned her smile, then fatigue overcame him and he blacked out.

The strange thing was, he still felt... conscious. Something was happening inside him, and he was fully aware of it. He couldn't figure out what it was, exactly, but it felt hauntingly familiar somehow.

"You should go home as soon as possible, don't you think?" that voice in his head suggested. "You'll get over these wounds in no time, and then you can return to your search for the last Sacred Jewel shard."

_That's right_, Inuyasha thought, _the Jewel. I can't let the remaining shard fall into Naraku's hands_.

At the mention of the demon's name, a strange tremor traveled through Inuyasha's body, almost like an involuntary response of recognition. What could cause something like that?

"Don't think about it," the voice purred. "Kagome told you to focus on getting better, right? You'd better do as she says."

With that, Inuyasha's consciousness sank into the darkness.

* * *

Kagome couldn't take her mind off of Inuyasha all through school that day, but she didn't mind. He had nearly died, after all, and, on top of that, he had kissed her. He deserved to occupy the forefront of her thoughts for a little while, at least. As she packed her textbooks into her schoolbag, a teaching assistant looked into the classroom.

"Miss Higurashi? There's a phone call for you at the student services office."

_What could that be about?_ Kagome wondered as she followed the teaching assistant. When she got to the office, she picked the phone.

"Hello? This is Higurashi speaking."

"Yes, Miss Higurashi. It's about the patient you brought in last night."

"What? Has something happened to him?"

"...yes, but not what you might think. It's rather incredible, actually."

_Oh, no_, Kagome thought, _he's transformed back into a half-demon, I just know it!_

"He's completely recovered from his injuries."

Kagome had to digest that for a few seconds before responding.

"He what? How? Oh, forget that; does this mean I can take him home?"

"I... I don't see why not, once you fill out the proper release forms."

"Okay, then. I'll be right there!"

With that, Kagome hung up the phone and dashed down the hallway. She didn't stop running until she reached the hospital, and, even then, she walked briskly toward the front desk.

_How, Inuyasha?_ She puzzled. _How did you recover so quickly?_

* * *

"Inuyasha..." A voice called to him, beckoning him. For some strange reason, it didn't sound like his own voice, and yet, he knew it somehow. Why couldn't he remember who's it was?

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled him away from these dark thoughts. He looked toward the door just in time to see Kagome swing it open. She was breathing heavily, as if she had run here. She took one look at him and almost lost her footing from shock.

"So... it's true," she managed. "You're healed... completely."

Inuyasha didn't quite know how to react to Kagome's state. He couldn't help but feel a little guilty as he sat cross-legged on his bed comfortably while Kagome looked like she could faint at any second.

"Why haven't you changed back into a half-demon, though?"

"Ya got me," Inuyasha shrugged.

"Hey. Come over here; you look worse than I do," he added, patting the mattress beside him. Kagome sank onto it gratefully, sighing in relief. A moment later, she had wrapped both arms around one of his and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You're alright," she said at last, as if repeating it would make it easier to believe. "I knew you would be... I never doubted you."

Inuyasha was tempted to roll his eyes at that, but he controlled himself.

"Why are you still here?" asked the ethereal voice in Inuyasha's head. "Shouldn't you be headed home?"

"Hey, Kagome," Inuyasha suggested, "Since I'm fine now, shouldn't we be headed back?"

Kagome jolted slightly in realization. "Oh, right. I took care of all the paperwork, so we can leave anytime."

"Then let's make it sooner rather than later. We've got stuff to do, after all."

"Mm," Kagome nodded, getting to her feet and holding out her hand to him. Inuyasha hesitated before he took it; she hadn't mentioned anything about the kiss in the Well. Was she afraid to bring it up? Did that mean she was angry or just embarrassed?

* * *

They retrieved Inuyasha's Feudal-Era clothes without too many questions asked. The Robe of the Fire Rat had been left with Kaede, but Inuyasha didn't mind that as long as he could wear _something_ other than the hospital's excuse for "clothes." In fact, he was so eager to get back into his comfortable _hakama_ and _kosode_ that he pulled off the thin hospital shirt right in the hallway.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Kagome thundered.

"Changing," Inuyasha replied bluntly. "Won't take a sec. Just turn around and I'll be done in no time."

"Urghhhh... Sit, boy!"

Inuyasha flinched, as expected, but nothing more happened. Only then did Kagome remember that she had left the Necklace of Subjugation in the Feudal Era.

"Just go in there, for the love of public decency!" she begged, shoving Inuyasha into the men's bathroom.

In a minute or two, he emerged, looking very pleased with himself – even though he was still shirtless. Miroku had managed to find a shirt to replace the one that had been shredded by Naraku's miasma, but during its brief wear earlier, some of Inuyasha's wounds had bled onto it. Now, he sniffed it experimentally.

"Hmph," he snorted, "Just doesn't smell the same."

"Would you quit whining and just put it on, already?" Kagome insisted.

"Yeah, fine."

As Inuyasha pulled the shirt around his shoulders, Kagome saw it again: a burn on his back.

"Inuyasha, wait."

"What now?"

Kagome came closer and touched the burn gently. "Why hasn't this one healed?"

"How should I know?" Inuyasha muttered, dismissing the subject. "If you're that interested, you can look at it when we get back, okay?"

"Mm," Kagome nodded. "Okay."

* * *

After saying their goodbyes to Kagome's family, Inuyasha and Kagome reentered the Well. About halfway through the passage, Inuyasha began to feel strength surging into him. His nails lengthened into claws, his senses sharpened, and his hair returned to silvery-white.

"What on earth?" Kagome wondered.

"I dunno," Inuyasha admitted.

"Perhaps," the voice in his head suggested, "your demonic power became trapped on this side, seeing as you changed into a mortal just as you left it."

"Maybe," Inuyasha added, echoing these thoughts aloud, "my demonic aura got stuck back here cuz I turned human right when we left."

"Huh, maybe," Kagome supposed. "What's important is that your back to normal now."

She smiled warmly at him, so warmly that he couldn't imagine that she was angry about the kiss. He figured it was safe for him to mention it now.

"Uh, Kagome..." he began. "Look, about before-"

"Here we go!" Kagome interrupted, obviously not listening. Had she intentionally cut him off mid-sentence? In an instant, they emerged from the Bone-Eater's Well and landed on soft grass.

"Back at last," the voice whispered in a tremulous tone, almost as if it was laughing. Inuyasha had tried to ignore the increasing amount of talk from this strange voice, but it was becoming more and more difficult.

"I'll go get the others," Kagome beamed, "unless you wanna come with me."

"Sure," Inuyasha said halfheartedly, his mind still preoccupied.

They reached the village in a matter of minutes, where they found Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kaede sitting around a hearth. Everyone was thrilled at Inuyasha's speedy recovery, and they all attributed this to the medicines of Kagome's world, despite her insistence otherwise.

"Now," Inuyasha said, looking around the room, "where's my jacket and Tessaiga?"

"Over in the corner," Kaede pointed.

"Ah, thanks." Once he had donned both the Robe of the Fire Rat and his sword, he turned to the others. "Well, what are we sitting here for? We've gotta got find that last Jewel shard and destroy Naraku, don't we, so let's get moving."

"Well, you're especially eager, considering you just recovered from fatal wounds," Miroku noted.

"Of course I'm eager!" Inuyasha retorted. "I'm just aching to kick Naraku's ass after what he pulled the other night! C'mon, let's go!"

As if to prove his determination, Inuyasha strode out of the hut and onto the nearest road.

"You guys coming, or what?" he called back.

"Well," Sango decided, "We should go with him, if only to keep an eye on his condition."

"Maybe he got a head-injury," Shippo wondered, "and is thinking even more rashly than usual."

"I heard that!" Inuyasha shouted.

"We may as well get moving," Kagome sighed, following Inuyasha out the door.

Inuyasha stayed well ahead of the others, fully appreciating the regained abilities of his keen nose.

_Now... where are you, Naraku?_ he mused.

"Look carefully. He could be closer than you think," advised the voice in his mind.

_Yeah, I know that_. Inuyasha snapped. _You don't have to remind me._

"Don't I? You seem to be uncommonly slow today, Inuyasha – even for you."

"Hey, whadda you mean by that?" Inuyasha demanded aloud. Realizing his mistake, he looked at his friends. They seemed confused at his outburst, for sure, but they were trying hard to hide it.

"You really don't get it, do you?" the voice asked incredulously. It seemed to be growing louder, becoming more distinctive, more recognizable. Inuyasha couldn't chance things any longer. He slackened his stride until he could walk beside Kagome. She immediately understood that he wanted to talk.

"Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly. "You were thinking aloud just now."

"I don't know," Inuyasha admitted. "It's almost like... I'm having a conversation in my head."

"Well, that happens to all of us, from time to time," she smiled reassuringly.

"Not like this," he insisted. "One side of it is obviously me – my voice, my thoughts – but then... there's... something else on the other side."

Kagome began to look concerned now. "It could be..." she began, but her voice trailed away into a sigh of uncertainty. After a moment, she tried again. "When did this start, Inuyasha?"

"Lemme think... it was in your world..." Suddenly, Inuyasha stood still, realization beginning to hit him.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

"This voice started after my fight with Naraku," he replied slowly. Even before he said it, his hands had started trembling.

"What are you saying?" Even though it was an obvious question, Kagome seemed compelled to ask it. "Do you think that this voice is actually..."

"Naraku," Inuyasha finished for her.

Immediately, the voice in Inuyasha's head roared with laughter. There could be no mistaking it now; Inuyasha knew that voice too well.

"Well, Inuyasha," Naraku admitted, "I must say, you took long enough to figure it out. It's a pity your discovery won't save you from what's to come."


End file.
